Fever, when you kiss me
by canny-bairn
Summary: One little rose brings JJ to a familair green door one rainy night. Written for CCOAC Valentines challenge.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Criminal Minds!**

**I'm really busy at the moment so if anyone out there is reading my other story 'Sometime around midnight' it will get finished it just might be a while till it's updated. I really wanted to post this as soon as possible before I forget about it especially as it's a gift. Hopefully you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.**

**My prompts: Hotch/JJ***Fever (Peggy Lee); chocolate, roses, getting caught in pouring rain**

...

JJ looked down at the rose in her hand. It was just a friendly gesture on a day that was unbearable for most single people. After all, Hotch was her friend. Since she had left the BAU, Hotch had become a great friend. Someone she could always rely on, no matter what. And she knew it was just their talk about their Valentine's Day plans, or lack of, that had prompted the unit chief to give Henry a rose so he could give it to his over worked, over stressed, single mom.

Any other day she would have laughed. She would have called the profiler from her corner office in the Pentagon and they'd joke about how pathetically single they both were. But the newly promoted liaison's day had been bad, on biblical proportions.

So as she hesitated outside of the green door, soaked through from the cold February sleet that pelted against the icy ground, she couldn't help but chuckle at her drenched appearance. The no-doubted, damp hair and smudged makeup matched how she felt inside. Messed up.

However depressed she felt, the rose that was loosely held in her hand, meant she couldn't just walk away. The rose had brought the thirty-something to stand in her former supervisor's apartment door at two in the morning. The rose had awakened something she had struggled to keep at bay for all those lonely nights. The rose had meant that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way she did. The single red rose had signified that there was hope for both of them and all she had to do was knock.

Before she could regain control of her left hand that softly knocked on the door in front of her, the liaison could hear rustling from within the apartment.

"JJ?" Hotch looked down sceptically at the usually poised woman, standing nervously in front of him as he widened the gap between the door and its frame. Seeing JJ's general dejected stance instantly worried the caring agent.

Thinly smiling at Hotch's loosened tie and ruffled hair, JJ met his tired eyes after staring into his living room behind the taller man and realising she must have woken him from the spot on the couch that was surrounded by case files. "Hey"

"What are you doing here so late? Are you alright?" Hotch scrubbed his face before glancing down at his watch as he stepped aside, letting the petite blonde into the apartment.

"I was on my way home from work and thought..." JJ shrugged as she could see the confusion written across his face. "I don't know"

"JJ" Hotch placed his hand on JJ's arm comfortingly and was surprised to hear her breath hitch at the sudden contact. Their eyes locked during a comfortable silence as they stood facing each other next to the apartment door. Taking a step forward, Hotch's hand fell to his side as JJ's hands cupped his face warmly. Slowly she brought his face down to her level, giving him ample time to move away before their lips connected.

Feeling the doorknob press into her lower back as Hotch guided her backwards, JJ gasped for air when she realised her head had become dizzy from the lack of oxygen. Pressing a hand to Hotch's chest, JJ closed her eyes briefly and twisted the door handle behind her, opening the door. "I'm sorry. I have to go"

Pressing his fingers to his lips, the taste of chocolate and coffee filled his senses but an object in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Seeing the rose he'd given Henry to pass on to JJ, laying haphazardly across the threshold, the profiler cursed mentally.

He was a coward. He used a three year old to do his dirty work. Then he let JJ make the first move because he was too scared she'd reject him.

Glancing down the corridor, he caught a glimpse of JJ's blonde hair whipping around the corner towards the stairs and suddenly, after JJ worked up the guts to kiss him, something he had wanted for as long as he could remember, he was frozen.

Picking up the discarded rose, he placed the flower onto his side table, as he silently vowed to buy the blonde bunches of red roses next Valentine's Day.

Grateful that Jack was spending the night with his aunt and cousins, Hotch took a deep fortifying breath, and closed the door behind him before running down the corridor towards the stairs. As he got to the last step he realised that the wintry weather had changed to chilling rain but charged forward without haste.

The February rain pelted against the door and instantly stuck the profilers white shirt to his skin as the agent jogged unprotected from the elements, in the direction of the line of cars JJ was heading towards. Before the drenched liaison could reach the black SUV, Hotch practically yelled so he could be heard over the noisy weather. "JJ, wait. Where are you going?"

"I'm going home." JJ reluctantly turned to face her follower, the darkened wet blonde hair firmly attached to the side of her face as the rain continued to get heavier. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just kissed you like that. I'm an idiot"

Sighing, Hotch stepped forward, grabbing her arm to keep the petite woman in place. The instant his hand wrapped loosely around JJ's arm, their eyes connected and Hotch, while silent, smiled at the small shiver that ran through both of them due to the soft touch. Taking his silence as a negative, JJ bit her lower lip nervously. "Hotch, I'm sorry"

"You're not an idiot and I wish you'd stop saying you're sorry" The raven haired man smirked as he placed his free hand onto her waist, bringing both of their bodies closer together. "Aaron, I'm sor..."

Interrupting his former colleague's bashful apology, Hotch gently pressed her petite frame into his broad chest, and slowly but nonetheless passionately kissed her. Breaking apart slightly, Hotch smiled at JJ's closed eyes as their foreheads rested against each other.

Pinching JJ's sides softly, Hotch waited until she reopened her hazy blue eyes before he asked the question that had been on his mind since the DOD liaison showed up at his door. "Why did you come over tonight?"

"To kiss you" JJ replied instantly but the shakiness of her voice gave away that she was attempting to keep her emotions at bay.

Raising an eye in confusion, Hotch couldn't help but chuckle at JJ's uncertain gaze. "Why? Why now?"

"Honestly?" JJ asked timidly, her cheeks inflamed when Hotch laughed in response. "Yes JJ, I want to know the truth"

"It wasn't for some grand romantic gesture, or because it's Valentine's Day and I'm sick of being so lonely. You and I... we're friends. We've been in each other lives every day for the last ten years and lately, I'm not so sure what the hell I feel." JJ's voice faltered as she stared at him with unsure eyes, the rain still poured down both of their faces as they stayed in close contact on the sidewalk.

"I don't have any real reason, other than I thought about you all day because of that damn rose, and I just wanted to kiss you." JJ's voice lowered to a whisper. "I just wanted to kiss you"

"You just wanted to kiss me?" Hotch stared down at the shivering woman in his arms, a wide grin lit up his rain drop covered face.

Nodding, JJ bit her lower lip, managing to look up to his eyes expectantly as she replied huskily. "And I really want to kiss you again."

Smirking at JJ's outburst, Hotch enthusiastically wrapped his hand in the liaison's silky, wet hair and brought their lips together with bruising force. The passion of the kiss caught the pair by surprise but as they looked in each other's eyes they knew nothing had ever felt so right.

...

**The end.**


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